 | From Kim Barnes, Head of Early Childhood"Enforced learning will not stay in the mind . . . let your children’s lessons take the form of play." - Plato
Hello and welcome to the initium of your child’s education at Greenhill School!
What an exciting time this is as moments of wonder, exploration, and discovery await your child each day in the Preschool! Through authentic play-based and process-based curriculum, your child will have the opportunity to ask questions, explore those questions and the environment, and discover many answers and sometimes unsuccessful ideas (those are the best learning tools as failures invoke more questions).
Through global themes of the world and its peoples, your pre-kindergartner will learn what it means to go to school and how to function in a community. Moving from a pre-kindergarten experience in social studies, science becomes the modus operandi for all things happening in the kindergartner’s world.
The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers are experts at integrating all academic disciplines as they design activities to scaffold knowledge and skill growth through the interests of the children in their classrooms.
With frequent volunteer opportunities, you will experience the excitement and enthusiasm of your child’s active learning. We know your lives are incredibly busy, but we hope you join us as often as you can in the classroom. We need your help and you need to know what is going on in the classroom.
I look forward to getting to know and working with your child and you this school year. Take care and thank you for sharing your child with us.
Sincerely,
Kim Barnes Head of Early Childhood |
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From Michael Simpson, Head of Lower SchoolWelcome to Greenhill Lower School, where the building blocks are put in place for continued success!
Our students love coming to school. The dedicated, creative faculty form such strong relationships with the students that it is not unusual to see older students visiting with teachers from prior years. Teachers instill our students with core values by reinforcing basic manners in the early years and working with students in daily teachable moments requiring respect, honor, and compassion.
A commitment to developing the whole child is at the heart of all we do. The essential ingredients of this rich, balanced program include:
- Developing self management and independence
- Promoting social and emotional growth
- Building math, science and problem solving skills in classes taught by dedicated math and science specialists
- Preparing the brain for foreign language fluency through study of Spanish and Chinese
- Creating cultural frameworks with an integrated, theme-based approach to language arts and social studies
- Strengthening physical development, with daily physical education class
- Establishing a solid grounding in fine arts, with a curriculum that provides a full hour of art and music every week
Students develop skills and concepts through authentic learning activities, such as creating a restaurant for our annual Soul Food Café in first grade, dissecting owl pellets in second grade, simulating the Ellis Island immigrant experience as a third grader, or working as a stock broker in the fourth grade Stock Market. Greenhill students develop 21st century abilities as they learn to be flexible and adaptive, synthesize information, and work in teams as well as individuals. When our students leave Lower School, they have a strong sense of themselves and confidence to take on the next level of challenges.
As the leader of the Lower School — as well as a parent of three Lower School children — I am proud to be associated with such a welcoming, joyful, diverse community of children, faculty, and families.
Sincerely,
Michael Simpson Head of Lower School |
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| | 2nd Grade: Sizzling Send-Off
5/23/2013
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LS Farewell Assembly
5/29/2013
9:30 AM
Location: Phillips Gymnasium
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Spring Progress Reports Delivered
6/7/2013
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